


Careful What You Wish For

by KayKel108



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-04
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-21 04:04:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3676710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayKel108/pseuds/KayKel108
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when your best friend and your boyfriend hate each other? What happens when they don't anymore? Felicity thought she wanted the two most important people in her life to get along, but what happens when they get along a little too well?<br/>Set pre-Starling City during her MIT days. Partial AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lavender and Loathing

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what prompted me to write this! But I love these two shows so much and I just decided to intertwine the two of them together for my entertainment. I hope you enjoy!  
> Let me know if it's worth continuing!

There were few things in life that didn't make sense to Felicity Smoak. If she didn’t know the answer, she’d find the answer. Her life was simple in that aspect. When life fell apart, when things got hard, she could count on her brain. And when she couldn’t count on her brain, she could count on theirs.

Jemma Simmons and Leopold Fitz. Her two best friends. Her shoulders to cry on. The foundation of her life since she left Vegas.

Jemma was her roommate at MIT. Without a doubt the most precious human being in the entire world. Felicity wouldn’t hesitate to give her both kidneys if she asked nicely. She was the sister she never had and the best friend she had always wanted.

Fitz. Don’t get her started on Fitz. He was cranky and a know it all. He was too smart for his own good. He was also adorably Scottish and possibly the love of her life. But then again, she was only 20, so the jury was still out on that.

Felicity met Jemma when they were assigned a dorm together. They were both 17 and they had been inseparable ever since.

She met Fitz last year in an advanced computer programming class and they clicked instantly.

The only problem Felicity had with either of them was that they hated each other. When she told Jemma that she had a date with Fitz, she thought her roommate would have a heart attack. Jemma quickly informed her that he was the scum of the earth and when she brought up Jemma to Fitz, he was quick to return the sentiment towards her. No matter what Felicity said or did, Fitz and Simmons refused to budge on their mutual dislike of one another. She soon realized it was because of school. She was smart, but they were in another world. They constantly fought for the top spot in every class. Every day was like their own person battle for dominance. The only time they played nice was when they were with her. Barely.

Which brings us to tonight, Fitz and Felicity’s first anniversary.

“Okay, look. I know you’re busy with your thesis but help a sister out! Red or blue?” Felicity holds both dresses up as Jemma looks up from her computer.

Jemma rolls her eyes, “Hmm. I would say red, because it’s your color, but I love the cut of the blue dress. Simple. Wear the purple one in your closet that you forgot you bought a few months ago.”

Felicity gasped, “Oh my god! I completely forgot I had that dress!”

Jemma chuckles and watches her friend run back to the closet.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you!” Felicity exclaimed.

“You wouldn’t survive.”

Felicity rolled her eyes, “I might manage. We’ll know soon enough.”

Jemma sighed, “Don’t remind me. Seriously, Lis. What are we going to do if we don’t get internships in the same city?”

Felicity huffed and sat on the bed, looking down, “We’ll figure it out.”

“Okay, forget I mentioned it.” She waves her hands above her, “I’d hate to ruin the mood for your date with the perfect Leopold.”

“You know, when you say it like that, I get the impression that you don’t really mean it.”

Jemma scoffed, “Yeah what would give you that idea?”

“Be nice.”

“I’ve known him for three years. It’s not going to happen for us. Sorry.”

Felicity walked into the bathroom and yelled back into the room, “I’m just saying, you two would like each other if you ever really gave it a chance. I love you both and I have impeccable tastes!”

“Yeah yeah. Oh god, did I tell you we got stuck as Chem lab partners for our next assignment?! Just shoot me in the face while you’re at it!” She yelled back over the sound of the blow-dryer.

 

“You always say the sweetest things about me.”

Jemma shrieked and spun around, “Fitz!! Don’t you knock?! Are you trying to give me a heart attack!?”

“For your information I did knock! You just couldn’t hear it over the sound of your own voice is all!”

They stared each other down for a second more before Felicity turned off the dryer and walked back into the bedroom, “Oh! Hey Fitz! When did you get here?”

He smiled and met her for a kiss and then he pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind him, “Just now, sweetheart. Happy Anniversary.”

She kissed him once more for good measure, “They’re beautiful, I love them. But, I thought you knew that Jemma’s allergic to lavender?”

He looked over Felicity to Jemma who gracefully flicked him off.

“It must’ve slipped my mind. My apologies, Simmons.”

“I’ll just put them downstairs and out of her room. Be right back and I’m almost ready. I know I’m already running late!”

He just smiled, “You wouldn't be you if you weren't.”

She laughed and made her way out of the room.

“Trying to kill me now, I see.” Jemma said, not looking up from her computer.

“Well, if I don’t, I’m sure someone else will.”

“You never fail to astound me, Fitz.”

He tilted his head to the side, “How do you mean?”

“Well, just when I think I’ve hit the very peak of my disgust for you, you send it higher.”

He laughed, “Well then, I’ve achieved my goal.”

“Achieved what goal?” Felicity asks and she makes her way back in the room.

Fitz spun around and grabbed his girlfriend, “I had a goal to get the most beautiful woman in all of the land, and would you look at that, here you are.”

She wrapped both arms around his neck and laughed, “Why do I get the feeling your actual goal was to piss Jemma off and you got caught so you’re playing the sweet boyfriend card?”

He bent down and kissed her quickly, “Because you, dear Felicity, are a genius, that’s why. Now let’s go, we’ll be late for dinner!”

She laughed and waved to her friend, “I’ll see you later, love you!”

Jemma just sighed and smiled, “You too.”

Once they were out of the house Jemma exhaled deeply, “What an asshat.”

 

 Monday morning came more quickly than Felicity, Jemma or Fitz would have liked. As much as Felicity wanted the two most important people in her life to get along, she was not looking forward to having to hear them bitch about each other after their first class as partners.

Jemma put her laptop in her bag and looked over at Felicity, who had just made her way into Jemma’s room.

“You know, I should have never gone back for my second degree. The first one was fine. I should just drop out.”

Felicity rolled her eyes, “You are a 20 year old working on her second PhD and you want to drop out because you don’t like your chem partner.”

Jemma dropped on her bed, “Precisely.”

“You’re crazy.”

“I am no such thing. I simply like who I like. And dislike who I dislike and there is nothing the matter with that.” She replied in a particularly British accent.

“You don’t have to go all Queen’s English on me because you’re pissed.” Felicity laughed.

Jemma looked down at her phone, “Shoot! I’m going to be late. I’ll see you after class. I hate you, by the way, for not having Monday classes.”

Felicity watches Jemma race down their stairs and calls out after her, “You’re just jealous!”

She pulled out her phone and dialed Fitz’s number.

“Good morning, beautiful!” He answered.

She smiled, “Good morning yourself. Look, Jemma might be a couple of minutes late, I distracted her here this morning.”

“Of course she’ll be late. What’s new?”

She sighed, “I am only going to say this one more time. Be nice to my best friend. I love her and you love me, so just deal with it.”

There was silence on the other end for a beat before he replied, “Roger that, boss.”

“Fitz, I’m serious.”

He sighed, “I will treat Simmons with the same courtesy that she extends to me. Now, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later. Love you!”

“Love you too.” She replied but he had already hung up.

 

Fitz took his seat at their lab station and moved his stuff so she would have room. He may have issues with the woman, but he surely would not let his personal feelings get in the way of his grades.

She made her way through the classroom and took her seat next to him, “Fitz.”

“Simmons.”

“Sorry I’m late.”

“The professor is running late so you haven’t missed anything this time.” He responded, detached.

Jemma spun her chair towards him, “Okay, look. I hate you. You hate me. Facts of the world. But, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the next four months, can we please pretend to get along. This class is important to me. I know you are engineering, but I’m bio chem and I need the grade, okay.”

Fitz was taken slightly aback by her bluntness. Sure, she wasn’t his favorite person but he thoroughly enjoyed the back and forth between them. He never really thought she actually hated him.

“Simmons, I can say with one hundred percent sincerity that I would never do anything to affect your grades. I may not enjoy chemistry like you do, but I do enjoy having a 4.0 and plan to keep it that way. In this lab, you are my partner. No games.”

Jemma nodded, “Okay. Well. Good then. I’m glad that’s settled. Now pass me my goggles, I can see what the professor is planning on going over today by the ingredients here. We’ll just go ahead and start without her.”

Fitz looked puzzled for a moment before shrugging and handing her what she asked for, “Alright. I’ll follow your lead.”

“Rightly so.”

Fitz just rolled his eyes.

 

 

Life went on as usual for the first two weeks. Jemma and Fitz had stayed true to their words. Within the confines of the chemistry lab, they were the perfect partners. They worked seamlessly together, often finishing each other’s thoughts.

It was outside of the lab where things didn’t change.

Fitz and Jemma had both been vying for more of Felicity’s time. They could each feel their time at MIT closing in and all three of them were not sure where they were headed.

“I just don’t see why he has to come is all.”

Felicity huffed, “Because he’s my boyfriend and I want him to. Look, I know movie night is our thing, but he got out of class early and just this once I would like to make an exception. Please.”

Felicity made puppy dog eyes at her friend and Jemma sighed deeply, “Fine. But you owe me.”

Felicity grinned and hugged her friend, “How about I pay for you? Fair trade?”

Jemma linked her arm in Felicity’s as they headed down the street, “Fair trade.”

They met Fitz at the theater. He had already bought all three tickets and was sitting on the bench by the door. He saw them approaching and jumped up to meet them.

“Ladies. Thank you for having me.” He places a kiss on Felicity’s forehead and an arm around her neck, “I already got the tickets. Let’s go find a seat.”

Felicity smiled, surprised at his generosity towards Jemma.

Jemma felt the same way, “Fitz, you didn’t have to do that. Seriously, I can pay you back.”

He waved his hand and answered, “No, its fine. I intruded on girl’s night. It’s the least I can do.”

Jemma was slightly suspicious. Fitz wasn’t kind. He didn’t do nice things. This was all wrong, “Who are you and what have you done with Leopold Fitz?”

Fitz just laughed, “Oh, come off it. You might be surprised to find I’m not the worst person in the world.”

Felicity chimed in, “I’ve been saying that for months. Well, I mean I’ve been saying you’re great, not just that you’re not the worst. You know what I meant.”

He chuckled at her babbling and opened the door for both of them, “After you.”

Jemma and Felicity made their way to their seats. Jemma couldn’t shake the weird feeling inside of her that was telling her to enjoy his presence. She didn’t like it, but he was trying to be nicer. He was making an effort, she supposed it wouldn’t kill her to lighten up a little.

 

Felicity found herself sitting between the two most important people in her life. For the first time she honestly felt like things were changing and she was overjoyed. She had long ago determined that the reason they disliked each other so much was because they were simply too much alike. But she could feel a slight shift in their relationship and she reminded herself that she should really thank their chem lab instructor for forcing them together.

Yes, everything was going much better for Felicity, until it wasn’t.


	2. Barfights and Bandages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is such a weird concept for me to attempt to write because I want to keep it in Felicity's perspective but I cant help but switch over to Jemma occasionally. I love writing both of them!! Hope you enjoy!

Things may have been shifting over that last few weeks, but everything changed the night of the last basketball game of the year. Felicity had decided to skip the game in order to finish up a paper she was working on and Jemma had ended up going with a few of her other friends from class. Fitz dropped dinner off for Felicity and then walked to the game to meet up with some of his friends.

The game was loud and chaotic and very close. They ended up winning with 4 seconds left on the clock and the entire arena was buzzing with excitement.

 

Jemma had planned on going home afterwards but was talked into doing the bar scene with her group after the win.

She was at her third bar when she noticed Fitz. He was in the back, playing darts with a group of guys. She wasn’t sure if she should say hey or just coexist in the same place without talking. She opted to just not say anything unless he came over. He looked like he was having fun and she’d hate to intrude or to disrupt the sensitive balance of their friendship.

Throughout the night she kept finding herself watching him. Watching his interactions. This Fitz was weird. Gone was the dorky engineer who wore button ups and cardigans. He had on a beanie and a faded MIT sweatshirt with dark jeans and a pair of worn converse. She almost wanted to say he looked, cool? No, that was too much. He just looked less science-y and more like a regular college student. She had never stopped to wonder what he did when he wasn’t with Felicity. To her, he had simply not existed outside of the confines of being Felicity’s boyfriend or her lab partner. It was like watching a wild animal in its own habitat. Fascinating. 

One of her friends pulled her from her thoughts, “Earth to Jemma, could you stop staring for like five seconds and come dance with us?”

“What? Misty, no! I wasn’t staring, I mean, not like that, that’s my friend’s--”

Misty grabbed her hands and pulled her off her barstool, “Whatever you say, English. Let’s go!”

Jemma reluctantly made her way to the dance floor and joined her friends. After a couple of songs she moved to head back to her table, but a hand grabbed hers and turned her around.

She comes face to face with an extremely tall, muscular drunken man she’s never seen before.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going? I was just coming over here to ask for a dance.” He slurred.

Jemma politely tries to remove her hand from his, “I’m sorry, I’m tired of dancing. Thanks for the offer though.”

He holds on tighter and pulls her a little closer, “It wasn’t a suggestion, darling. Dance with me.” He puts both hands on her waste before continuing, “It’s not my fault you’re so hot. I can’t resist you.”

Once again she tries to pull herself away, “You'd be correct, you can't control my hottness. You can, however, control your extremities. I’m done dancing. Let me go.”

“But we’re just getting started, baby.” He slurred.

“Hey! If she says she’s done dancing, she’s done dancing.” The sound of a very familiar, slightly slurred Scottish accent came from behind her.

The man holding Jemma let go over her and moved around her, “Why don’t you mind your own damn business, kid.”

Fitz steeled himself and pointed to Jemma, “She is my business.”

The man looked at Simmons and then back at Fitz, “Look. No offense, but why would she be with you when she could be with me? Move along.”

The man turned back towards Jemma and then felt a tap on his shoulder. He rolled his eyes and turned back around only to be met by a fist to the face.

Jemma jumped and let out a gasp of surprise, “Jesus, Fitz!”

The man wiped under his nose, “You broke my fucking nose!” He laughed, “You’re really going to wish you hadn’t done that.”

The entire bar had turned their attention to the two inebriated men. They were both out for blood and Jemma only hoped someone would intervene quickly before Fitz got really hurt.

The bigger guy swung at Fitz but missed, Fitz dodging it at the last second. Fitz quickly countered with another punch, this time to the guy’s gut. The man used Fitz’s close proximity to grab hold of his sweatshirt and push him up against a pillar. The guy swung and this time he made contact with the right ride of Fitz’s face. And then proceeded to hit him in his gut. Fitz got one more solid punch in.

Jemma was yelling at them to stop but they paid her no attention. It seemed that just as quickly as it had started it was over. Three bouncers rushed in and grabbed the two guys and pulled them off of each other.

The bigger man was drug out of the bar into the streets but bar owner grabbed Fitz’s shirt and motioned to the bouncers to let him go.

“Hey, what the hell man?” He pushed him down into the bar seat in front of him, “You're lucky as hell I saw what happened with the girl so I’m not calling the cops. Nothing like that from you again, got it?”

Fitz just nodded and wiped at the cut under his eye, “Sorry, John. Really.”

“Yeah yeah. Hey, lady?” He looks over Fitz at Jemma who was standing awkwardly behind him, “Get Leo out of my pub.”

Fitz nodded and stood up only to falter slightly. Jemma grabbed him and threw his arm over her shoulder, “For god’s sake Fitz, either you’re hammered or you have a concussion. Probably both.”

“I think I broke my hand too.”

Jemma rolled her eyes, “Well come on, Rocky.”

They make their way to her car and he slides in her passenger’s seat, “Let’s just go back to my apartment, I’m sure Felicity will be thrilled to find out you got into a bar fight.”

“No! Hey, no. Just take me home. I don’t want her to see me like this.” He mumbled.

“You mean drunk and beat up?”

“Hey. Rude. I think he and I were equally drunk and beat up. It was a tie.”

She laughed, “You’re right, Fitz. I mean, you did break his nose. When did you even learn to fight?”

He sighed, “Oh I don’t know, Jemma. How about being younger than my classmates all throughout school. You don’t exactly become the cool kid.”

Jemma nodded, completely understanding, “Alright. I’ll take you home.”

“You won’t tell Felicity?”

She sighed, looking over at his pleading expression, “Why don't you want her to know?"

He sighed, maybe it was the alcohol or maybe he just trusted her, but he answered truthfully, "She's already so far out of my league, I keep waiting for the day that she sees it. I just don't want that day to be today."

"Fitz, she'd be proud of you, not embarrassed. I know if I had a boyfriend who stuck up for my friends like you did tonight, there'd be no way I wouldn't be proud." She looked over at him and smiled.

"I appreciate the kind words, I really do. I still don't want to tell her if it's all the same."

"Fine, I won't. But I’m not making a habit of keeping things from her. Your face is going to need an explanation.”

“How about, I slipped carrying a keg for John and hit the rim of it?”

She shrugged, “Not great but plausible-ish. I’m serious though, I do not condone lying to my best friend. And I certainly don’t condone her boyfriend lying to her. But after what you did for me, I’ll spare your ego with her, just once.”

He dropped his head and glanced over at her and whispered, “Thanks, Jem.”

She smiled. He had never called her Jem before. Hell, he’d never called her anything but Simmons. She liked the way it sounded coming from him.

They drove in silence most of the way there, occasionally both singing along to the radio. She was thoroughly surprised to find that he wasn’t a bad singer. And despite herself, she had to admit he wasn’t bad company either. She really hated being wrong.

She pulled up to his apartment complex, “Here we are.” She turned to him, “Thank you, by the way. You didn’t have to stand up for me like that, but I’m glad you did. I’m just sorry you got hurt because of me.”

He rolled his eyes and patted her shoulder, “You’ve nothing to apologize for. I didn’t get hurt because of you. I got hurt because some asshole was being an asshole. That wasn’t your fault.”

“Well, thank you all the same.”

“You’re welcome. I guess I better go find a band aid, some ice, and some aspirin. My cheek is still bleeding, my hand is starting to swell, and I’ve got a killer head ache.” He chuckled at himself.

Jemma bit her lip, contemplating what to do. She desperately wanted to go home, take a long shower and curl up in her bed to forget the day had ever happened. A much smaller, but much louder part of her brain told her she needed to check his hand and the cut and his head because it was the right thing to do. Damn her conscious.

She sighed and opened her door, “Well come on then. Let’s go.”

“What are you doing?” He looked at her in confusion.

She huffed, “You are bleeding and hurt and I’m a doctor. I’m going to get my first aid kit and I’m going to fix you.”

He laughed, “Well, I would argue, but I don’t want my face to scar. It’s too pretty.”

“Oh whatever.” She laughed and they went up to his apartment.

She was surprised at how well decorated his apartment was. She quickly rationalized that most of it was probably Felicity’s doing.

“Felicity took over my house, if you can’t tell.”

She laughed at how he just answered her unspoken question, “It’s nice. Now sit down.”

He sits at is bar and she pulls out her flashlight and shines it into each eye, “Good pupil reaction. Are you feeling nauseous or dizzy?”

“I’m dizzy. But I’ve also been drinking since before the game was over.”

She smiled, “Well, despite your poor choices, I think you’ll survive. You’re going to have one serious head ache in the morning.”

“Yeah, yeah, but what about my face, doc? Can you fix it?”

She leaned her head back and laughed, “Oh I don’t know about that. It seems it looked this way before the fight. There isn’t much I can do. I could recommend you an excellent plastic surgeon.”

“Hey!” He laughed and then winced, “Don’t make me laugh!”

“Sorry. Okay, this is going to sting a little.” She pulled out an alcohol pad and dabbed at his cut.

“Ow! Shit, Jemma!”

“I told you! I’m sorry! It’s pretty deep, but I don’t think you’ll need stitches. I’ll just put butterfly bandages on it.”

He kept wincing, “Okay. Whatever you think.”

She pulled her hand away and looked down at him, “Excuse me?”

He looked up in confusion, “What?”

“I’m sorry. For a second there it sounded like you were trusting in me to make a decision.”

He smiled, “If you promise to keep this between you and me, you may have above average intelligence and the ability to make sound decisions. But I’ll deny ever saying it.”

She laughed, “Yeah, says the person who triple checks all of my data every time we’re in lab.”

He scrunched his nose and looked down, “About that. I may actually just look at your paper for a few minutes. I don’t actually check it. I know it’s right.”

She put a hand on his shoulder, “That may be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

She puts the bandages on his face and backed away so he could stand up. He moves into the kitchen to the fridge and opens the freezer to pull out a bag of peas.

“So tell me, should they go on my hand or my face?”

She smiled, “Hmm, how about you grab two bags. I can’t tell if you broke anything in your hand, but you might want to play it safe and get an x-ray tomorrow. Now, I think I better head home.”

He looks at the clock on his microwave, “Holy hell, it’s almost 4:00 a.m.”

She sighed, “Well, it’s a good thing I don’t have class tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry I kept you out and you had to take care of me. At least I sobered up quickly after that jab to the face.”

She laughed, “It was the least I could.”

He walks her down to her car and she turns to him, “I feel like I should hug you or something but I also feel like that goes against everything I have known for the last three years.”

He laughs and extends his unharmed hand, “Goodnight, Jemma.”

She takes it and smiles up at him, “Goodnight, Fitz.”

 

Jemma pulls into her apartment complex at 4:09 a.m. She knows without a doubt that her friend will be in the living room, worried sick. Her phone had died around 2:30 while she was still at the bar, but she had just text her and told her she was fine but probably headed home soon. She couldn’t exactly use Fitz’s phone to check in without blowing his cover.

She sighed and unlocked the door.

“Where the hell have you been!?” Her blonde friend was on her feet and face to face with her in seconds, “Are you okay?”

Jemma smiled and squeezed her friend’s shoulder, “I am so sorry, my phone died and I just lost track of time.”

Felicity sighed, “Well damn, Jemma, way to give me a heart attack.”

Jemma chuckled uncomfortably.

“I’m going to try to call Fitz again, he hasn’t been answering me either, but I can tell his phone isn’t dead. I’m just hoping he’s not passed out at the pub or something worse.”

Jemma shifted uncomfortably.

Felicity puts the phone to her ear and then tilts her head in wonder, “Jemma?”

“Yeah?”

“Why is there blood on your shirt?”

Jemma’s eyes widen and she looks down to find that sure enough, she had managed to get his blood on her. Before she could answer that question, the phone in her back pocket starts ringing. If it’s possible for eyes to get any wider, they did.

“I thought you said your phone died.”

Jemma didn’t move to answer it.

“Answer the phone, Jemma.” No trace of the worried girl from just a few seconds ago was left in her voice.

Jemma closes her eyes and pulls the phone out, laughing at her luck. She had put Fitz’s phone in her pocket when she left instead of her own.

“This has a simple explanation.” She said, trying desperately to think of a simple explanation.

Felicity hung up and tossed her phone back on the couch, “What is going on? Why do you have Fitz’s phone?”

Jemma hates lying. She’s horrible at it. She sweats and stammers and all around panics. Just as she’s about to answer, Felicity tries again.

“Jemma, I am only going to ask you this once. You can tell me the truth, okay.” She takes a deep breath, “Did you kill my boyfriend?”

Jemma gasped and then legitimately laughed before she realized that Felicity was completely serious, “Felicity! Why would you ever think I’d kill Fitz?!”

Felicity shrugged but remained serious, “Well I don’t know, Jemma. I’m a smart person. And the smart person in me is screaming that all signs point to my best friend and my boyfriend hooking up behind my back. But I know them. They wouldn’t do that. So, option number two. You killed him. That’s his blood on your shirt and you took his phone by mistake. When the police find his body, your phone will be what links you to the murder.”

Jemma puts a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing, “Lis, I didn’t kill your boyfriend!”

“So you’re screwing him then?” Felicity countered quickly.

“God no! Felicity, stop freaking out and let me explain.” She rubbed her hands together, “Oh, he’s going to kill me.” She whispered.

“Yeah, you aren't helping your case.”

“Sorry. Okay. Please don’t be mad at him for asking me to lie and don’t be mad at me for attempting to for about 30 seconds when I came in.” She took a deep breath, “Fitz got into a bar fight.”

“What!? What the hell happened and why wouldn’t he tell me!? Why wouldn’t you tell me?” The last part came out softer, almost hurt.

“Well, the only reason he got hurt was because of me, so when he asked me not to say anything to you, I felt like I owed him.”

Felicity nodded, “Okay, well why did he get in a bar fight over you?”

“I’ve been asking myself that all night. There was a really drunk guy that kept trying to get me to dance. He was a little bit aggressive and handsy. I knew Fitz was at the bar but we hadn’t talked the whole night and all of a sudden he was there and told the guy to leave me alone. The guy wouldn’t and then Fitz broke his nose.”

“Holy shit! I’ve never seen Fitz aggressive in any way, shape or form.” Felicity took a seat on the couch and Jemma sat down next to her.

“I mean, I know things have been a little more bearable with us lately but I never thought he would stand up for me like that.”

Felicity’s face softened, “I told you he was a good guy. I just don’t understand why he would want to keep it from me. We don’t lie to each other.”

“He got drunk and started a fight. He hasn’t done anything like that before while dating you and I’m sure he just didn’t want you to see him in that light.”

Felicity sighed, “It almost sounds like you’re sticking up for him.”

Jemma laughed, “I don’t know what this world is coming to.”

“A better one.” Felicity answered, “I may be pissed that you two would lie to me, but if it ended with you working out your differences, then maybe it wasn’t all bad.”

“Woah now! I never said I liked the guy. I am just maybe not completely repulsed by his existence anymore.”

Felicity smiled, “Oh whatever. He’s your friend now. Deal with it.” She stood and walked into the kitchen to grab a water bottle, “Hey, what lie is he going to tell me tomorrow that I’m supposed to believe?

“He slipped carrying a keg for John and busted his cheek on the rim?” Jemma winced at the poor excuse of a story.

“Wow. He’s just as bad of a liar as you are.”

“Yes, I picked up on that quickly.”

Felicity laughed, “Okay, well, I’m glad you weren’t sleeping with my boyfriend. I would’ve hated ruining both of your lives.”

Jemma reached over and patted her shoulder, “I know that it looked bad, so I’ll excuse your accusations. But if you ever feel that way again, don’t. There is no world where I would ever do something like that to you.”

Felicity nodded, “I know you wouldn’t.”

 

Felicity was unable to sleep that night. She tossed and turned and came to a conclusion that she didn’t like. She had seen Fitz completely hammered. He was a happy drunk. They’d been at parties that got crazy. Someone had even tried kissing her right in front of him before. She was so thankful that he had been there to stand up for Jemma, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was more than protecting her.

He had been jealous.

She woke up after lunch and did everything in her power to shake that thought from her head. It was Fitz. Her Fitz.

He showed up around 2 that afternoon with flowers and a bottle of red wine. When she opened her door he dropped his head and looked up at her sheepishly through his eye lashes.

She smiled despite wanting to be angry.

“I am sorry for not calling you back last night, I seem to have lost my phone.”

She remembered that she was supposed to be surprised at his face, “Jesus, Fitz! What happened to you?”

She opens the door wider and he walks in and sits the flowers and wine on their counter, “I hit my face on a keg I was moving for John last night. I got pretty hammered.”

Felicity decided that if she had to act like she didn’t know what really happened, she would at least make it tough on him, “Why did John need you to do that for him?”

“Uh, yeah, he was short staffed last night and I was just trying to help out.” He rubbed the back of his neck and then winced, remembering his hand.

“Oh no. Is your hand okay? It’s all purple.” Felicity feigned concern.

He looked down and then back up at her, “Oh yeah, when I slipped and hit my face on the keg, I dropped the keg, obviously, right. And so then it landed on my hand when I fell.”

“Uh huh. Well, you may want to get an x-ray.”

“Yeah yeah, I know, Je—John said the same thing.” He turned around to grab a coke from her fridge, “Anyways, I thought we could have a relaxing evening here. Order some pizza, watch movies, what do you say?”

Felicity smiled at the flowers on the table. She realized she was over-thinking things last night.

“What on earth has you making such a ruckus down here?” Jemma comes down the stairs in her pajamas, yawning, “Oh, Fitz. Sorry, I didn’t realize you had company. I’ll head back upstairs.”

She turns to leave but he calls out after her, “Don’t hole yourself up on my account. We were just ordering pizza. Hawaiian or meat lovers?”

Jemma looked at Felicity, who just shrugged.

“Um, I guess Hawaiian. Thanks.”

He smiled up at her and nodded, “Lis, what do you want to watch first?”

“Uh, you pick, I’m gonna run up stairs to the restroom really quick.” She moves past Jemma and up the stairs.

 

Once Jemma hears Felicity’s door close, she turns to Fitz, “Lose something last night?”

He looks up the staircase and pulls out her phone from his back pocket, “Your kitten phone case didn’t give it away that you took the wrong phone, Miss ‘my IQ is higher than yours, Fitz. Let me work out the formulas’?!”

“I don’t sound like that! And don’t take that tone with me Leopold, it was four in the morning! I’m just surprised I remembered how to get home.”

They exchanged phones and irritated looks, “Was Felicity pissed at you for not getting in touch?”

“She was happy I was safe. Although, you do owe me a new blouse. You got blood on it.”

Instead of a smart remark from him as she expected, he answered, “Oh, I’m sorry. Just pick one out sometime soon and I’ll get it for you.”

She tilted her head, surprised, “Thank you.”

He just smiled, “Since Felicity is taking forever, you choose a movie and I’ll call the pizza place.”

“I’ll just run up and see what’s taking her so long.”

He nodded and dialed the number.

She made her way up the stairs, wondering again how she had gone from literally hating the man on her couch to bickering pleasantly with him. She shrugged at her own confusion and opened Felicity’s door to find her on her computer.

“What are you doing?”

Felicity looked up and closed her laptop, “Nothing.”

“Felicity?” She eyed her with suspicion, “What are you doing?”

She huffed, “If you must know, I pulled up the security feed from the pub last night.

“Why? I told you exactly what happened.” She sat down on her bed.

Felicity nodded, “I know, I know what happened. But knowing what happened and seeing it are two different things.”

Jemma didn’t really understand, “What were you looking for?”

Felicity bit her lip, not sure if she wanted to share her insecurities. After all, this was what she wanted, them to get along. She didn’t want to make things awkward for Jemma, who she could clearly see didn’t see what Felicity saw, “I wanted to see what Fitz did to that guy. He looks so pitiful down there, I just wanted to see how the other guy looked.”

When did Felicity lie to her best friend? Now, she supposed.

“Oh, yeah, he broke his nose and got a couple more hits in. Your boy can throw a punch.” Jemma smiled, “Come on, he said I could pick the movie since you were being a slow poke, but we can’t have that can we?”

“No. We can’t.” She took her friend’s hand.

The day went on surprisingly easy for Felicity. Despite her worries, she did enjoy being able to laugh with both of them and not worry about their backhanded compliments and rude remarks. It was refreshing. Until Jemma fell asleep.

“Would you look at that, fell asleep sitting up. That’s talent.” Fitz nudged Felicity and she looked over to see what he was talking about.

“Yeah, she had a long night last night, she didn’t get home until after 4.”

He looked down, “What a party animal. Should we wake her? Her neck is going to start hurting, sitting up like that.”

She contemplated for a moment before nodding, “Could you handle moving her to the couch with your hand? I don’t want to wake her, but there is no way I could get her upstairs.”

She watched as Fitz ever so gently moved one arm under her knees and the other around her back. She made a little noise at the movement and he paused, “Shhh, now. We’re still sleeping, just sleeping, shhh.” He whispered and then moved her successfully over to the couch. Once she was settled he reached for a blanket and covered her.

Felicity watched with growing discomfort. Fitz was a kind man. And he had done nothing wrong or even really suspicious in nature, but she couldn’t shake the idea that there was more to it. The way he had looked to Jemma when a funny scene came on to see if she’d laugh. He offered her the last slice. It all bothered her. She had never been the jealous type and she kept repeating that there was nothing to be jealous over but still, she couldn’t shake it. She was a smart woman. She’d grown up watching men go in and out of her mother’s life and she had sworn that she’d never let herself be that vulnerable. Fitz had changed that when he came into her life. He was bright and adorable and so considerate. She wanted to believe nothing was changing, but she had a dark feeling that her time with him was quickly fading, and that terrified her.


	3. Fighting and First Dates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the positive feedback! I have enjoyed writing this so far! Hope you enjoy!

Felicity didn’t see Fitz much over the next week. He had meetings with multiple agencies about his inventions and she had been stuck knee deep in papers. She was excited for him to come over on Friday. They had plans to grab dinner and go bowling. She had been waiting all day to hear about how his meetings had gone.

She was laying on the couch when Jemma came in, “Hey, did you eat all the spaghetti? I’ve been thinking about it literally all day long.” She made her way to their fridge.

“Nope it’s all yours.” She chuckled, “Just waiting for Fitz so we can head to dinner. How was your day?”

Jemma smiled and threw the bowl in the microwave, “Amazing! Fitz and I finished our project and had to show the instructor how we did it. She couldn’t quite grasp it, which is always lovely. Oh! And he just called and told me SciOps bought one of his prototypes!”

Felicity turned the TV off and sat up, “He called you and told you that?”

Jemma nodded and suddenly realized that might not have been what Felicity wanted to hear, “I think he wanted to surprise you tonight. Oh, I’m sorry! The only reason he told me is because it was that prototype he had been having so much trouble on, you know, the one with the molecule adapters. His algorithm was so close, but just off slightly. He asked me to look at it and I fixed it. So he was just thanking me is all.”

Felicity nodded as though she knew what Jemma was referring to. He wouldn’t even let her look at his designs until they were completely done. And he definitely hadn’t told her he was having problems, “It’s fine. It makes sense that he would tell you if you helped him.”

Jemma smiled, “Right, well anyways, I also wanted to tell you that Jason, the grad student in my advisor’s office, finally asked me out for dinner tonight!”

That caught Felicity’s attention, “Oh my gosh! Hot Jason? The tall one with the beard??”

“Yes! It only took him all bloody semester.”

Felicity squealed with delight, “This is great, Jem!”

They went upstairs and each get dressed for their dates. Felicity dresses down in skinny jeans, a white crew neck t-shirt, her burgundy vans and an unbuttoned plaid shirt of Fitz’s. Jemma chose a t-shirt dress with a belt and tan flats.

“You look fantastic,” Felicity says when she comes out of her bathroom.

“And you look very street casual. Like, you’re about to kick some ass at bowling.”

Felicity grinned, “That’s what I was going for.”

The doorbell rang, “That’s got to be Fitz, Jason shouldn’t be here for another 30 minutes!”

Felicity looked in the mirror and then back to Jemma, “Could you get it, I still need to put some mascara and lipstick on?”

“Sure” She smiled and headed downstairs.

She reached the door and opened it, “Hey Fitz, Felicity should be down any minute.”

He barged through the door, lifted her and spun her around in a hug, “You are a genius, Jemma Simmons!”

She laughed as he put her down, “Well, I know that, but it’s always nice to hear.”

“No, you have no idea. They loved the prototype so much. They said they foresee great things from me. But of course I told them I couldn’t have done it without you. They told me to give you this.” He pulled out a business card.

“Wow, Fitz. You didn’t have to do that. I mean, I didn’t need the recognition. It was almost all your work. I barely helped.”

“None of my work would’ve mattered without you, Jemma. It was like you were the part of my brain I couldn’t get to no matter how hard I tried.”

Jemma laughed, “Well, you’re welcome. I like working with you. I guess what they say about two heads are better than one is true.”

He beamed down at her, “Absolutely.”

She returned his smile as they stand there in the entry way. Felicity coughs and Fitz breaks their eye contact to look at his girlfriend, “Hey babe, you look cute. Come on, I’m starved. Did Jemma tell you about my prototype?”

She smiled tightly and took his outstretched hand as he leaned down to give her a chaste kiss, “Yep, she did. I’m a little hurt that you didn’t.”

He cocked his head to the side, “You know how I am about a finished product. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew I had something to say.” He looked back at Jemma as they were walking out the door, “What are you so dressed up for? I just saw you like two hours ago.”

“Oh,” She looked down at her dress and then back up and grinned, “I have a date.”

He nodded, “Cool. Have fun!” He and Felicity waved as the door closed and she couldn’t help but notice that his hand held on tighter when she said the word ‘date’.

 

That night Felicity and Fitz came back to the apartment after their date to find it still empty.

“Guess Jemma is enjoying herself.” Felicity notes, her words slightly slurred from the beers she had at the bowling alley.

Fitz looked around as if just noticing she wasn’t there, “Well, where the hell could she be this late? It’s after midnight and it’s a first date for pete’s sake.”

Felicity rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch, “I don’t know, why don’t you go find her. Get in a bar fight or two protecting her honor.”

His eyes widened and he groaned, laying his head across his arm on the kitchen counter, “Damn it.”

“Whoops. I was supposed to keep that a secret wasn’t I? Oh well.” She smiled at him but it was anything but sweet. Drunk Felicity was a wild card. She was either your best friend or your worst enemy and there was no in between.

He sighed and came to sit next to her, “I should’ve told you. I’m sorry I lied to you.”

“You lied to me. You asked Jemma to lie to me. How am I supposed to trust someone who keeps secrets from me?”

“Why didn’t you say something then instead of waiting almost a month?” He countered, becoming a little agitated by her accusatory tone.

She scoffed, “It doesn’t matter when I bring it up, time doesn’t change that you did it!”

“Felicity, I don’t know what you want me to say. I should have told you the truth. I didn’t want you to thing less of me for fighting in a bar like some caveman. And I apologize for dragging Jemma into it.”

She waited a moment before answering, “But that’s just it, Fitz. Why is it that she gets drug into things in your life and I get pushed out?”

He scrunched his brows in confusion, “What in the world are you talking about?”

“Everything!” She yelled, “Everything. You lied to me about the fighting. I hear about your meetings with bigshot agencies from Jemma. You guys have just synced to each other. I don’t know when she became easier to connect with than me and I don’t know how to fix it.”

He placed his hands on both sides of her face, “Look at me. Jemma is my friend and yes she had become a very important person in my life. I just have this feeling that together the two of us can achieve great things, scientifically. Science, Felicity. That’s what connects me and Jemma. Not love. I love you. You are the woman I love. I’m so sorry I’ve made you feel in adequate or uncherished. I value her opinions and enjoy spending time with her, but she is not who beats me miserably at bowling. Or pool. Or any card game ever. She is not the one I cuddle with and watch The Bachelor every week even though everyone thinks we’re studying. She’s not the one I carry up those deathtrap stairs when she passes out on the couch. She is not the one I love. It’s y--.”

His last word was cut off by her lips on his. She was overcome by how sweet and sincere his words her. He wasted no time in reciprocating her attack. His hands moved from her face down her arms until they’re at her waste and he pulls her closer.

She threw one leg over him to straddle him on the couch. His hands ran of length of her back, up and down, and ended up resting on her thighs as they continue to make out.

She pulled away from his mouth and moved to his stubbled neck, peppering kissing there.

Right as Felicity had his belt undone, the door opened.

“Oh God! My eyes! I’m sorry!” Jemma ran through the living room and up the stairs, “I’M SO SORRY THAT THIS MOMENT OCCURRED IN OUR LIVES!” She yelled back down the stairs and then the door closed to her bedroom.

Felicity rested her head on Fitz’s shoulder and began to laugh. They both sat like that for a few moments, silently chuckling.

Fitz squeezed her thighs to get her attention and she pulled back to look at him.

“I’m going to head home.” He tilted his head towards the stairs that Jemma just ran up, “I’m sure she’ll want to tell you about her date.”

Felicity nodded and pulled him in for a deep kiss, “I’m sorry I freaked out on you.”

He smiled up at her, “Feel free to freak out on me whenever you need to so long as it ends in this position.”

She laughed and climbed off of him and they walk to the door, “Goodnight, Fitz.”

He kissed her forehead, “Night, Lis.”

 

Felicity headed up the stairs and knocked on Jemma’s door, “Jem, you okay?”

“There are some things you just can’t un see, Felicity.” Jemma answered and Felicity laughed and walked in.

“Sorry you had to see that, I broke the no shenanigans in the living room rule. My fault.”

Jemma huffed and sat up in her bed, “Yes, your fault. Lucky for you, I had a wonderful night and will overlook your errors.”

Felicity smiled and climbed in the bed, “Spill.”

Jemma spent the next thirty minutes going over everything that had happened on their date and Felicity listened intently, wondering how she was ever worried in the first place about her best friend and her boyfriend.

 

 

Three weeks. Things were okay for three weeks. Fitz had tried harder to show that his relationship with Jemma was just platonic. Felicity worked on keeping her insecurities from creeping back in, even though she knew they weren't completely unfounded. Yes, things were okay until late one night when Felicity was woken up by a phone call. She looked down at her phone but didn’t recognize the number.

“Hello?”

She heard loud music and people in the background. She could barely make out that it was Fitz on the other side.

“LIS, CAN YOU HEAR ME?” He shouted.

Wincing and pulling the phone away from her ear for a moment, she answered, “Fitz? Are you okay? Where are you?”

“Fantastic! I’m great, Lis! It’s Friday night, I aced a huge test today, it’s fantastic!” He slurred out.

She looked at the clock to see that it read 2:43 a.m. She sighed and picked up her keys, “You’re drunk, Fitz. It’s almost last call. I’ll come and get you.”

“No, you’re the best, but Jemma is already here and said she’d take me home.”

“Wait, what the hell is Jemma doing there?”

She heard him laugh on the other side and if he were there she would've hit him, “Don’t sound so jealous Lis. JealousLis..jealouslis. That’s hard to say. Sorry, I tried calling you to get your cute ass down here two hours ago but did you answer? Nooooo. So I called Jemma and she rallied and got her ass down here. Ya see, lucky for me, she was just driving home from her date with good ole Jason.” He paused, took a swig from his beer and then added sarcastically, “He’s a catch, really.”

She looked down at her phone to find 5 missed calls, two from Fitz and three from Jemma, along with 3 text messages.

She sighed, “I’m not jealous, I just don’t like feeling left out.”

“Felicity Smoak isn’t left out, she is sleeeeping.”

She rolled her eyes, “This conversation isn’t going anywhere. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Wait, who’s phone are you using?”

She hears him chuckle again before he answered, “Ya know what, I don’t rightly know.”

“Bye Fitz.”

“Bye Fitz yourself!” He laughed as he hung up.

She immediately dialed Jemma.

“Hello, Lis?”

It was still loud, but she could hear Jemma much clearer, “Jem, what the hell!?”

“I’m sorry, what’s the matter?”

Felicity scoffed, “What’s the matter!? How about my best friend and my boyfriend hitting the town together like it’s no big deal. You have a lot of nerve!”

Felicity rarely heard Jemma be anything but pleasant. Tonight was an exception, “Well excuse the hell out of me if it makes you uncomfortable that I came to the bar to make sure YOUR boyfriend didn’t die trying to drive home because he couldn’t get up with you. Do you think I want to be at a bar at almost 3:00 am, completely sober, attempting to herd Fitz and his friends together in my car and take them all home? I have had an extremely long week and all I wanted from my Friday night was a nice date with a boy I like and then maybe a bubble bath. GUESS WHO DIDN’T GET THEIR BUBBLE BATH, FELICITY? Spoiler alert, it’s me. I didn’t. If it makes you so uncomfortable that I care about the safety of my friend, your boyfriend, then how about you answer your fucking phone!”

And then the line went dead.

Felicity looked down at her phone and immediately wished she had gone about that conversation with Jemma differently. It wasn’t like she was out getting wasted with Fitz. From the sound of it, she was miserable. Felicity flung her phone across the room and let out a growl like noise she wasn’t even sure she knew how to make.

“Why does he turn me into such a bitch!?” She asked, to no one in particular.

 

The next morning she woke up with the answer, because as much as he reassured her that his feelings for her best friend were platonic, one day, they wouldn’t be. And she had be holding on for dear life to something that she should’ve let go of a long time ago. And that crushed her.


	4. Bedrooms and Butterflies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final Chapter, I hope you all enjoy! Thank you all for the sweet feedback!!

Across town, Jemma woke up in an unfamiliar bed. She sprung up in a sitting position and jerked her head around the room, trying to place herself. She looked to the nightstand and saw a framed picture of Felicity and Fitz.

“Oh, shit. OH SHIT.” She looked down and realized she was wearing his shirt, “What the hell happened last night, I wasn't even drunk?!”

“Could you please, for the love of God, stop screaming?”

Jemma looked around the room but didn't see him, “Fitz?”

“Down here.”

She leaned forward and saw him lying on the floor, “What are you doing down there? What am I doing up here?”

He slowly sat up and rubbed his temples, “You know, for me being the one who’s hungover, you certainly have a lot of questions.”

“Fitz.”

“Right, let’s see. You drove Dylan and Ben home first, where I vaguely recall Ben throwing up on your shirt. We came here where I went to get water and aspirin and you came up here to borrow a shirt.” He pointed to his shirt on her, “When I came up to see what was taking you so long, you were passed out at the foot of the bed with one arm and your head in the shirt.”

She dropped her head back on the pillow and laughed, “I really did have a very long week.”

“Well, no one should have to stay up past 4:00 and be expected to know how to put a shirt on.”

“Exactly.” She lays there for a moment before added, “Thank you for covering me up and letting me sleep.”

He smiled and stood up, “Of course.” And it was at this second when he realized his girlfriend had been right. Just friends didn’t see each other the way he saw Jemma at this moment.

She took his breath away. Her hair was messy and spread out over his pillow. Her eyes still looked cloudy from sleep. His shirt was wrinkled but looked like it belonged on her small frame. He had always known she was pretty, but it had been in an objective way. This was different. She was beautiful in a way that made his heart beat faster.

“Fitz?”

“What?”

She laughed, “I asked if you had any coffee here.”

He smiled and rubbed the back of his neck, “Sorry, still trying to wake up. Yeah, I’ll go down and make some. The bathroom is right through that door. There should be an unopened toothbrush under the sink.”

She nodded and headed towards the bathroom.

He went downstairs and put on a pot. Sighing, he sat at his bar. He didn’t know how to process what he had just felt. He loved Felicity. He absolutely loved her. But he could now see clearly what Felicity meant about the way he was around her.

He had a crush on Jemma Simmons. Before he had a chance to process that realization, his doorbell rang.

He wondered who could be at the door so early on a Saturday morning. He opened the door and wished he hadn’t.

“Felicity, what are you doing here?”

She bit her lip, “I need to talk to Jemma.”

He stepped back, confused, and let her in, “How did you know she was here? And why are you not mad that she’s here?”

“Because I know that whatever she’s doing here, it’s not in a way that would hurt me. She wouldn’t do that. But I need to apologize to her. When she didn’t come home last night, I figured she crashed here.”

He tried to ignore the fact that she said that Jemma wouldn’t do anything to hurt her, not him. He felt like a hypocrite for being hurt by that.

“Fitz! I know it’s none of my business but I highly suggest you switch your toothpaste to one with tartar control. I know I’m not a dentist, but I am a doctor!” Jemma called as she descended the stairs, “Oh! Felicity, when did you get here?”

Felicity half-heartedly waved, “Just now. I was just telling Fitz that I needed to talk to you. Can we talk privately for a minute?”

Fitz took that as his cue, “I, uh, I’ll head down the road for some donuts. I’ll be right back.

Once he was gone, Jemma and Felicity sat down on the couch. It was Jemma who broke the silence.

“I’m sorry I stayed the night here. I honestly didn’t mean to. Someone threw up on my shirt and Fitz let me borrow this one and I just fell asleep. Nothing happened. However, I am not sorry for yelling at you last night. The way you spoke to me and how you accused me of being inappropriate when I was just trying to be a good friend to both of you is not okay.”

Felicity nodded, “I know, I know. That’s why I’m here. I’m sorry, things with Fitz and I have been strained lately and I shouldn’t have projected my frustrations on you. I am really sorry. You’re my best friend, there is no excuse.”

Jemma waited a moment before pulling Felicity into a hug, “I’m sorry you two are having trouble. I know it’s got to be stressful with everything going on from graduation to work offers. I can’t imagine having to make decisions like that together so young.”

The truth was that Felicity and Fitz hadn’t even discussed jobs after graduation. They had been struggling every day to stay on the same page about almost everything. They just weren’t working. Felicity knew that the majority of that was her knowing that the time he spent with her, he’d rather have spent in the lab with Jemma. That sweet speech he gave her a few weeks ago was always fresh on her mind. She knew he meant it. She knew he loved her. But loving someone wasn’t enough. You had to love someone enough to fight for the relationship. And he had stopped doing that. And she was tired of settling for less than one hundred percent.

Felicity answered her friend, “We’ll figure it out.” She pulled back and smiled, “I’m going to go. Stay, have breakfast with Fitz. I promise I’m okay with it. I have some school stuff that needs to be done by today.”

They both stood up and walked to the door.

“Are you sure we’re okay?” Jemma questioned.

Felicity smiled at her, “Jemma, I love you, we’re fine.”

Jemma nodded and Felicity hugged her once more, “I’ll see you at home.”

 

Felicity went home and sent a text to Fitz saying that she wanted to grab ice cream or something and talk the next night and then pulled out her laptop to begin her work.

 

The morning after his morning after with Jemma, Fitz was up early. He had another meeting with SciOps. They had called and asked for a private meeting to discuss his future with their company, not that he was completely sure what the company even was. He knew he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about it but he needed to release some tension. He was nervous and he needed to tell someone.

He was struck when he realized that he was dialing Jemma’s number. When had she turned into the person he wanted to share important moments with? More importantly, when had Felicity stopped being that person? He loved her. He was the luckiest guy in the world to get to call her his girlfriend, but something had been off for him since the night she told him about her insecurities with Jemma. And after yesterday, he didn’t blame Felicity for having them. He wanted to fix things with Felicity, he knew continuing to spend time with Jemma wouldn’t help, but he couldn’t help feeling like she was the only one that really understood him.

He pressed the call button.

“Fitz? It’s 7:00 a.m. You are worth a lot, but not my sleep.” She groaned into her telephone.

He grinned, “You’re wasting your day, Jemma Simmons. You know what they say, Carpe Diem.”

“Carpe Noctem.”

He looked down at his phone. She hung up on him. He laughed and dialed again.

“What part of seize the night do you not understand, Leo?” She growled into her speaker.

“I have another meeting with SciOps!” He rushed out in an attempt to keep her from hanging up again.

She sat up quickly, “Oh Fitz! How wonderful! I was actually going to call you later today. I have a meeting with them as well, but tomorrow. I have no clue what an engineering company would want with me but it’s right exciting regardless! What time is your appointment?”

He grabbed an apple from his counter and his keys from the wall, “It’s at 10. I just couldn’t sleep. I’m leaving now to just go for a walk.”

Jemma stretched and answered, “You’ll blow them away. I truly cannot think of a smarter person at the university and they’ll see that too.”

“I can think of one.” He answered with a smile.

“I’m sorry, come again? Was that another compliment?”

He laughed, “I never said I meant you, conceited this morning aren’t we?”

“I’m going back to sleep, Fitz. Call me afterwards and let me know how it goes. Good luck!”

“Thanks, Jem. Bye.” He hung up and stuck his phone in his pocket, feeling pounds lighter than he did when he woke up. Jemma always found a way to ease his worries.

She smiled and hung up. She looked up to find Felicity leaning on her door frame, “Oh! Good morning. You’re quiet as a field mouse. Why are you up so early?”

“Laura asked me to take a yoga class with her at 8:00. Why are you up?”

Jemma looked down, feeling bad for knowing something else before Felicity did about Fitz. She wanted to make something up, but she also couldn’t lie, “Fitz called about SciOps.”

Much to Jemma’s surprise, Felicity didn’t look pissed or even hurt. She seemed unaffected.

“That’s nice, I’m sure he’ll call after and tell me about it later. Got to go, love ya!” Felicity said with a smile as she made her way out of the room and towards the door.

“You too!” Jemma yelled after her and then laid her head back on her pillow.

 

That night, she and Fitz were walking down the avenue back towards his apartment after getting ice cream.

“So, what do you say?”

Felicity realized that he had asked her a question. She was so wrapped up in what she wanted to say that she wasn’t focused on him at all, “I’m sorry, I completely zoned out, what?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, “You know, for someone who asked me out for ice cream and wanted to talk, you sure have been somewhere else completely. What’s up with you?”

They reach Fitz’s apartment and she sits down on his stoop. He moves to sit next to her and tries again, “What the matter, Lis?”

She sighed, “I got offered a paid internship after graduation with the top company in my field.”

“Felicity! Babe, that’s amazing!” He beamed down at her before realizing she wasn’t smiling in return, “What’s the catch?”

“It’s in Starling City.”

He stood back up, “Starling City, as in across the country?”

“That’s the one.”

He took a deep breath, he knew they hadn’t had the easiest couple of months but he couldn’t imagine fixing things by living on separate sides of the country, “When do you have to decide? We can come up with a schedule or we can see what other offers come in or something.”

She looked over at him and then back down to the ground, biting her lip, “Fitz.”

All it took was her saying his name and he knew. This wasn’t a compromising conversation. This was the end.

“You already accepted it.”

She winced and looked at him, “I’m not going to get a better offer than this, Fitz. It’s my dream. It’s everything I worked for.”

He rubbed his hands through his hair as he dropped his head, “So what then? You just ship off to the west coast? What happens for us, huh?”

A tear escaped as she struggled to stay composed, “We break up.”

He had never been hit with an actual ton of bricks, but he’s sure that this is what it would feel like.

“But, why?” He asked, almost whispering.

She stood up and took his hands in her, “Because as much as I love you and I know you love me, I need more.”

Hurt by her words, he pulled his hands away, “What does that even mean?! If I’m not enough, I can try harder, we can figure it out!”

She smiled sadly at him, “You have been an amazing boyfriend. But I deserve to be looked at the way you look at Jemma. I know you don’t fully see it and neither does she, but one day you will, and then you’ll understand.”

“I didn’t know you were still feeling this way. I know Jemma had you doubting us but--.” He reached for her hand but she stepped back.

“No. It’s not Jemma that makes me feel insecure. It’s you. She has no idea. It’s the way you talk about her. The way you look at her. When I asked you two to get along better, I never thought that this would happen, but it did and it’s okay.” She said with a calm resolve that scared the shit of out Fitz.

“Felicity, I love you! I don’t know what else I can say. Jemma is important to me. I don’t know when she became that way, but she is. That doesn’t mean I don’t love you or want to work this out! Please, don’t do this.”

“Don’t do what, Fitz? Tell you the truth? You don’t look at me or talk to me or touch me the way you used to. She fits you in a way that I never could and never will. She loves you and I know it’s a platonic love but one day it won’t be. One day she’ll look at you and see everything she’s been missing in other relationships. I’m just not going to wait for that day. Because there won’t be a choice to make. You’d choose her.”

He rubs his hands over his face and sits back on the stoop, “Lis, that’s not true.” He paused before adding, “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You already have.” She sits down next to him, “I can’t do this anymore, Fitz. I don’t deserve it. I deserve to be chosen, not settled for.”

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, “I will always love you.”

He nodded, closing his eyes as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

When he opened his eyes again, she was gone.

 

Jemma woke to a phone call. Squinting her eyes, she makes out 6:37 am on her clock, “Who in the bloody hell could be calling this early?”

She had a very long night, listening to what happened between Fitz and Felicity, though she’s still skeptical that Felicity really was just wanting a fresh start in Starling.

She picked up her cell phone and saw that the caller was unidentified. She sighed and answered it, “Hello? Jemma Simmons speaking.”

“Dr. Simmons. I’m afraid we need your answer sooner rather than later. Our flight leaves in two days.”

Biting her lip, she responds, “Yes, I am aware. But as I have already told you, I won’t go without him and he hasn’t returned my calls yet. You will know when I know.”

There was silence on the other side for a moment, “We will not always be this appeasing, Dr.”

“I understand.”

“Good.” And then the call ended.

Huffing, Jemma got up and walked over to Felicity’s door. She knocked but heard no reply, “Lis, I know you’re sleeping and I’m sorry, but I need to get ahold of Fitz and he’s not answering. Would you happen to know where he could be?”

She waited a few moments before hearing Felicity’s muffled answer, “Check the lab.”

She rolled her eyes, “Why on earth would he be at the lab at 7:00 am?”

“If he’s not answering, it means he won’t take his hands off what he’s doing. Lab. Goodnight.”

Jemma chuckled, “Sorry I woke you, goodnight.”

 

She showed up at the lab fifteen minutes later to find him tinkering on something she couldn’t quite make out.

“You are a hard person to reach.”

His head jerked up from his work and then, realizing it was Jemma, went back to it, “I’m not really up for chit chat right now, Jemma, sorry.”

He was upset about Felicity. She chose to ignore the tone he used with her, “Well, I’m not here to chitchat. I’m here because we need to have a serious discussion.”

“I’ve had my quota of serious discussions within the last twenty four hours.”

“I know, Lis told me.”

He paused his work but doesn’t look up, “You’re not going to ask me if I’m okay or tell me to go fight for her, or something?”

“Normally I would stick my nose where it doesn’t belong, you’re right. However, I think you’ll be okay. I think you’ll talk about it with me when you’re ready. And I think that if it’s meant to be with her, you’ll find your way back to each other eventually.”

He nodded, appreciative of her giving him his space, “So, why are you here then?”

“SciOps offered you a full ride to an academy for S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. I know, because they offered it to me as well.”

He dropped his screwdriver and looked over at her, “Did you already accept?” He wasn’t surprised in the slightest that they offered it to her as well. She was brilliant.

“What? No, of course not. I wouldn’t make a decision like this without talking to you about it. Most of the projects they’re interested in, we’re working on as a team. I want to do it. But I can’t very well do it without my partner.”

He smiled despite himself, “Partners, huh?”

“We’re twice as smart together as we are apart, Fitz. Together, we can make a difference. I know it’s a lot to ask, but it’s an amazing opportunity and with Felicity moving to--.”

“I’ll do it.”

Her eyes widen in surprise, “What? Are you serious?”

He goes around the table to stand in front of her, “It is a great opportunity, life changing really. And I need something life changing. So, yes I am serious. Where you go, I’ll go.”

She beamed at him and pulled him in for a hug, “Oh Fitz, this is going to be fantastic! We’ll have funding, huge labs, possibly assistants! It’s not like we’ll be actual field agents going on missions or anything but we’ll still be making a difference!”

He laughed, “Yes, and we’ll stick together, you and me.”

She looked up at him, “I’ll be by your side the whole time.”

 

 

** Three years later **

 

Felicity Smoak was having a bad day. She spilled her coffee on her shoes. The copier got jammed, twice. She had to cover all of Jerry’s assignments for the week. That damn flu.

No, it wasn’t her day. But then she got an email. Leaning forward to get a better view of her screen, she smiled.

_From: Jemma Simmons_

_Hey you! I need more details on your visit to Vegas! Just calling your mom “Mom” with a shrug emoji won’t cut it again missy!!_

_I wish I could tell you all about my recent trips but they are still as classified as ever. Fitz sends his love. I can tell you one thing, if he complains one more time about going into the field I will personally ship him to your doorstep and let you deal with him. He and I aren’t really built for secret agent life, but we’re managing. If only you could see us, you’d be in hysterics!_

_Oh! I almost forgot, we have a new girl on the team. She’s a hacker with a bit of sass. Remind you of anyone? ;) You’d like her. Or you’d be mortal enemies. I just can’t make up my mind which yet._

_Are you seeing anyone? Are you enjoying Starling? ARE YOU EATING YOUR VEGETABLES???? These are the questions that keep me up at night, Felicity Meghan Smoak._

_Below I have attached a picture of Fitz and I from our latest mission. Please don’t do your hacky thing and find our location. I’d be in a world of trouble._

_Love you to the moon and back!_

_Jemma_

Felicity clicked on the attachment to find a selfie of Fitz and Jemma in front of some type of ruin. She knew she could find out where exactly it was, but she chose to follow Jemma’s request and leave it be. She smiled at the two scientists. They looked so happy. They both looked older, more like real scientists. But she could still see the two twenty year olds who did everything in their power to hate each other. How time changes things.

She looked back up at the message, _‘Are you seeing anyone?’_ Ha. Felicity had found it extremely hard to find someone that treated her the way Fitz had. She knew he wasn’t the right guy for her. But he had shown her how a man was supposed to treat a woman for the most part. She’d been on plenty of dates. She’d had a few boyfriends since him, but no one that stood out. No one that made her hands sweat and breath catch. At the end of the day she knew she wouldn’t settle for anything less than butterflies.

She smiled once more at the picture and then closed the email. She still had work to do and there was no use in worrying about finding a man. When the right one came along, she would know.

Sticking a pen in her mouth, she shook the thought of men from her head and turned back to the spread sheets she had been going over.

 

 

“Felicity Smoak?” Hearing her name, she swiveled around in her chair to face easily the most attractive man she had ever seen. She realized the pen was still hanging from her mouth and she removed it as he spoke again, “Hi, I’m Oliver Queen.”

She had almost forgotten what butterflies felt like. Almost.


	5. Reunions and Recliners

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I aim to give the people what they want!  
> This turned into a longer chapter than I had planned, I hope you all enjoy it!

**_3 Years Later_ **

 

 

“I’m just saying, Felicity would’ve cross referenced a second time.”

Skye sighed and looked over her shoulder at Fitz.  He had his arms crossed, leaning against his bedroom wall, watching her work.  She turned to see Simmons, identical in posture, standing next to him and nodding in agreement.

“You say that like I’m supposed to know who Felicity is.  You’ve said it before, but we were too rushed for me to question it. Who the hell is Felicity?” She asked, exasperated.

“My ex-girlfriend.”

“My best friend.”

Fitz and Jemma answered simultaneously.

Skye’s eyes widened and she looked back down at her computer, holding back a grin.  That answered so many puzzling questions.

Composing herself, she asked, “And why have we not talked about her or seen her in these last three years?”

Jemma sighed, “We email back and forth and call occasionally.  We’ve just been really busy here, obviously.  And she is Vice President of a multi-billion dollar company so she has a tight work load as well.”

“Woah.  Back on up. You said billion, like with a B?”

Jemma smiled, proud of her friend, “Felicity is brilliant.  She is a cyber-security specialist as well as a successful business woman.”

Skye rolled her eyes, “Cyber-security specialist..Hmm. Sounds like me.”

Fitz spoke up, “No, Skye. Felicity follows the laws.  She’s incorruptible and an upstanding citizen, unlike some people.”

Skye held up her hands, “Hey, rude. I am an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. I have clearance.  Most of the time.  And no way does she have the talent you say and never dabbles in extracurricular activities.”

Jemma patted Skye on the back, “No everyone is you, Skye.”

“Now that would be terrifying.” Fitz added.

“We’ll see about that.” She starting typing on her laptop, “What’s her last name?”

Jemma huffed, “Smoak, But you aren’t going to find anything.”

Skye types away for a few minutes before nodding her head and looking up at her friends, “There is nothing on here for her.”

Fitz smiled, “See, we told you.”

“No. You don’t get it, there is NOTHING in any database for her.  She’s wiped clean.  No parking tickets.  No voter registry.  Health records.  I can say with one hundred percent certainty that your billionaire bff is either under the witness protection program, or she wiped herself out of the databases, making her a, wait for it, hacker.”

Jemma’s brows scrunch in confusion, “There is nothing online for her?”

“Oh, no there are things online, like news articles and awards and such.  Just no records. You can’t find out any real information, only tabloids.  The only public record on here is her marriage license but that was all over the websites as news anyway so I don’t count that as something I found.”

Fitz pushed himself off the wall and moved to look at her computer, “Marriage license?!”

Jemma shook her head back and forth, “No no no.  She would tell us if she were getting married. No.  You must’ve spelt her name wrong or something.”

Skye quickly pulled up the article, “This her?”

Fitz inhaled sharply when he saw the picture, “Her hair is blonde.”

Jemma smiled despite feeling completely betrayed by her own best friend, “She looks beautiful.”

Skye nodded in agreement, “This is from last month.  She’s not VP of the company anymore.”

“Oh no! What happened? Can you find out what happened?” Jemma asked, worried.

“Calm down.  It’s all right here.  She’s not VP anymore, because she’s the CEO. She’s one of the youngest CEO in the United States.  You were right about one thing, your girl is brilliant.”

Jemma looked over at Fitz who was putting some of his things in his bag, “What are you doing, Fitz?”

He didn’t bother looking up, “We have four days of leave left before we report back to S.H.I.E.L.D.  I’m getting on a plane for Starling.  You coming?”

She grinned, “Hell yes.  Felicity can’t just get married and not tell us. Not invite us!”

She moved to leave the room and Skye coughed loudly, muttering something under her breath.

“What was that Skye?”

“Oh, I said that you guys have fun. I’ll just stay here.  By myself.  Alone. Four days.  Alone.  It’s cool.”

Jemma rolled her eyes, “Pack your bag.”

Skye grinned and got up, “This is going to be interesting.”

 

 

It was a busy morning for Felicity.  Getting control of Palmer Technologies was one thing.  Maintaining control was a whole different ball game.  Restoring it to its former glory was proving a mighty task, but she knew if anyone could, it was her. She loved this place.  She owned this place.

Smiling, she said to no one in particular, “Bet you never thought you’d say that.”

She focused back on the numbers in front of her.  She worked for a few minutes before Jerry interrupted her.

“Excuse me, just a reminder that you have lunch in fifteen minutes with your husband and a board meeting at three.”

She looked over to where her executive assistant was standing and nodded.  She’d never be able to thank Ray enough for hiring him.

“Also,” Jerry continued, “There are three individuals unscheduled to see you, two of which are extremely adamant that you’d allow them up.  Should I call security?”

“Names?” She asked, not looking up from her computer.

“A Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz. Along with a woman named Skye that apparently doesn’t have a last name.”

Felicity dropped the pen out of her mouth and stood up, “Of course! Of course, let them up! Always let them up. No security needed!”

“Yes ma’am.” Jerry nodded with a smile and returned to his desk to call them up.

 

 

Felicity paced the length of her office, mindlessly rotating the ring on her left finger.  The moment after she excitedly told Jerry to get them, she realized she was probably not getting a happy visit.  She was in trouble.”

“Felicity?”

She spun around to see her best friends in the doorway, along with the woman she could only assume was Skye.

“Jemma! Your hair! It’s so short! Fitz, a beard! You guys!” Felicity crossed the room in heavy strides and enveloped them in a group hug.  That wasn’t exactly what she had planned on starting with, but that’s what came out.

Jemma laughed, hugging her back, “My hair? YOUR hair! It’s so long and blonde.”

“You guys, I can’t breathe.” Fitz added.

They all laughed and pulled away, just looking at each other.

“It’s been too long. Jemma, I emailed you a couple of months ago, but no reply. I, uh. I--”

“You got married.” Jemma finished.

Felicity winced, “Yeah, about that. It was kind of a whirlwind and a very long story.  But yeah.  I didn’t have a real wedding or anything or you would’ve been my first call.”

Jemma bit her lip before answering, softly, “I should’ve been your first call regardless.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Both of you.” She looked over at Fitz, “Honestly.  I wish I could explain, but it’s--”

Fitz smiled for the first time and spoke, using their own words against them, “Classified.”

Skye spoke for the first time, “I told you she wasn’t the perfect, law abiding citizen.  Classified is for extracurricular activities.”

Felicity looked over at her, “I’m sorry, you must think me so rude.” She held out her hand, “Felicity. And you are?”

Skye hesitated for a moment before taking her hand, “Skye.”

“I’ve heard many things about you.  Jemma may have mentioned that we’d either be best friends or mortal enemies.”

Skye shrugged, “I guess that depends.”

Felicity tilted her head, suspicious, “On?”

“On whether or not you’re the Oracle.  If you are, I would gladly be your indentured servant for life.  If you aren’t, well my gut is wrong and that’s just disappointing.”

Silence met Skye.

Skye grinned, taking the silence as answer enough, “Indentured servant it is.”

“What the hell are you two talking about?” Fitz asked, breaking the tension.

Before Felicity had a chance to come up with a lie, she was saved.

 

 

“Hey babe, I’m really thinking about that new Chinese place across town. It’s gotten great reviews.” Not looking up from his phone, he adds, “Sorry, give me just one second.  The shipments were late this morning and I had to leave before they were done to make our lunch.  If Thea finds out I left all that alcohol alone with the bus boy, she’ll kill me.  But I guess that’s what she gets for going to Paris for the week and just dropping Verdant on me.  Roy could wait until I got someone else to cover.”

Felicity just waited for him to notice the others in the room.  She always enjoyed the rare moments of surprise from him.  He finished typing on his phone and looked up.

“Oh.  I’m so sorry!  I didn’t know you were in a meeting.  I just barged in here.” He started backing away.

Felicity smiled and walked over to him, kissing him quickly but softly on the cheek, “Hey.”

He looked down at her and they were caught in that moment they always found themselves in.  No one else existed for a few moments in time, “Hey.”

A cleared throat from across the room broke their trance, “Oh, right.  Oliver, this meeting has needed to happen for far too long.”

They walk across the room to the three guests, “This is Jemma Simmons.”

Oliver smiled widely with the recognition of her name, “Dr. Simmons.  College best friend.  Allergic to lavender.  It’s a pleasure to finally put a face to the name.”

Jemma smiled and blushed, “Right you are.  I like your face as well.”

Skye snorted and covered her mouth.

Trying to correct herself, “I mean, your face.  Scientifically, is very symmetrical.”

Oliver looked at Felicity, who was trying her best to suppress a laugh, and she turned to Fitz, ending Jemma’s misery, “And this is Fitz.”

Fitz squared his shoulders and took Oliver’s hand, “Nice to meet you.”

Oliver shook it back, “I’ve been waiting a long time to meet the man Felicity talks so highly of.  I’ve had a lot to live up to.”

Fitz had prepared himself to hate this guy since he found out that Felicity married him and didn’t even get a wedding.  But then he saw the way he had simply said ‘hey’ to Felicity.  There was more passion in their greeting than in he and Felicity’s entire relationship.

Fitz just nodded and smiled in return.

“And this is Skye, their co-worker and friend.” Felicity finished the introductions.

Oliver nodding towards her, “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“Do you have a brother?”

Oliver laughed, “Just a little sister, sorry.”

She shrugged, “Couldn’t hurt to ask.”

Oliver looked back at Felicity, “If you want to catch up with your friends, we can go out for lunch another time.”

“Actually, do you think you could keep Fitz and Skye busy for a few moments?  I need to talk to Jemma.  And then maybe we could all go get lunch and catch up?”

He smiled, “Of course.”

 

 

Jemma and Felicity stepped onto the roof.  This was the first thing Felicity changed when she took over what was once Palmer Technologies, now Queen Inc.  She put two recliners on the roof, overlooking all of Starling.  Call her crazy, but sometimes you couldn’t beat a la-z-boy and a view like that when things got stressful.

Jemma chuckled when she saw the two chairs, “Come up here often?”

“Only when things below me get too stressful.”

Jemma nodded, understanding the want to get away from things.

Felicity took a deep breath and started, “There are things about my life that I can’t share with you anymore.  And it hurts me because I want nothing more than to share everything with you, but they aren’t all my secrets to share.  And it’s better if you didn’t know them.  I don’t want you to think less of me.”

Jemma is quiet for a moment. She sat down on one of the chairs, “I killed someone.  A few months ago.  I stuck a bomb on him and he disintegrated in front of me.  You couldn’t say something that would make me think less of you, Felicity.  I’m not the girl you lived with in college.  I couldn’t tell you where to find her if I tried.”

Felicity looked at her friend.  It pained her to see Jemma like this, she seemed almost broken, “What happened to you? And Fitz for that matter.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Felicity rolled her eyes, “Don’t insult me.  You have such sad eyes.  And Fitz, he rubbed his hands together the entire time we were down there.  He never used to do that. He looks different.  Not in a bad way, but different. So, I’ll ask again. What happened?”

Jemma looked away to keep tears from escaping, “Most of it’s classified.  We were locked in a box and dropped into the ocean.  It was supposed to float.  It didn’t.  We sunk.  Fitz broke his arm in the fall and we sat down there for hours as the oxygen slowly ran out.  I fell asleep and when I woke up, Fitz had a plan.”  She paused, collecting herself, “He made an explosive to break the glass but there was only one oxygen mask and he couldn’t swim with his arm.”

Felicity reached out and took Jemma’s hand.

Jemma squeezed it and continued, “I told him he couldn’t make me do this.  That we needed a different plan.  That I wouldn’t leave him down here, he was my best friend.  He told me I was more than that but he could never tell me, so he wanted to show me.  And then he pushed the button.”

“Oh god, Jemma.” She pulled her friend into a hug. “I am so sorry that happened.  But you both made it.  You’re both alive.  I know what it’s like to be captured.  The most important part is that you made it out.”

Jemma chose to not push Felicity on what she meant by knowing what it was like to be captured.

“He didn’t wake up for nine days.  And I took a field assignment without him.  I didn’t say goodbye.  I didn’t tell him where I was going.  I didn’t tell him why I left.”

“Why not?”

“I was making him worse.  He had brain damage from the lack of oxygen.  He’s so much better now, but for a while, he couldn’t speak well or focus or hold his tools.  I was hindering him in every way.  All I wanted was to help him.  So I decided leaving would do it.  It was my fault he was so hurt in the first place.”

Felicity sighed, “He would do it again.  Every day, if he thought he could save you.  It was no one’s fault but the person who put you in the water.  What happened when you talked about him saying that you were more than his best friend?”

Jemma closed her eyes but didn’t say anything.

“Jemma?”

“We haven’t talked about it.”

“Jemma!”

“I know!!  Okay, I know.  I just, at the time I had no idea.  He caught me so off guard and I had no time.  He pressed that damn button and everything went to hell.”

“But you’ve had time.  How do you feel?”

Jemma hesitated for a moment before answering, in an almost whisper, “He’s your ex-boyfriend.  Isn’t this slightly awkward?”

Felicity laughed loudly, “If you are telling me that you haven’t told Fitz you love him for fear of hurting my feelings, you’re a little misguided, however loyal and sweet the intentions.  Jem, I got my happy ending.  I come home every night to the love of my life.  He is frustrating and stubborn and he makes really bad waffles and I have to pretend they’re okay because he tries so hard.  But I love him in every way you can love a person.  He’s my lobster.”

“What?”

“Damn it, Jemma.  I told you to watch Friends!  It’s on Netlfix now, there is no excuse!”

Jemma laughed, “I’m sorry. But I’m so happy you found your lobster, whatever that means.  He seems like a wonderful man and if he makes you happy then I am happy.  Maybe one day you will be able to tell me about how you ended up marrying him.  And dear lord, he is pretty.”

Felicity smiled and looked out over Starling, “That he is, my friend. That he is.”

They were quiet for a few minutes, just enjoying each other’s presence.  Felicity breaks the silence, “Someone once gave me a golden piece of advice and I’ll share it with you. He said, ‘Tell him how much you love him.  Tell him whatever it is your heart needs to express.  And do it now.  Before he has lost you, forever.’”

“Whoever gives you advice could stand to be less dramatic.”

“You should’ve seen his outfits.” Felicity shrugged and then added, “But he had a point.  Life is short.  You should know that by know.  Don’t let what you could have slip away because you’re scared.  I’m only going to say this once so listen carefully.  I, Felicity Meghan Smoak-Queen, hereby void girl code rule number one.  You may tell my ex-boyfriend you love him.”

Jemma chuckled and reached over to squeeze Felicity’s shoulder, “Thank you.”

Felicity smiled and stood up, “I don’t know about you.  But I’m hungry and there are two fine gentlemen and a very nosy woman downstairs who I could bet are too.  Let’s go eat.”

“What’s Oracle, Felicity?”

Felicity froze and turned back to her friend, “You remember when you sent me a picture of you and Fitz at the sight of some ruins?”

“Yes?”

Choosing her words carefully, she went on, “You told me to refrain from digging into it.  That you could get into a lot of trouble and you just wanted me to trust that you were okay.”

Jemma nodded, not happy with not getting an answer, but understanding that she'd just have to trust her friend, “I understand.”

Felicity nodded and smiled, “So, food?”

“Absolutely.”

 

 

 

They spent so long at the restaurant sharing stories and catching up that Felicity pushed her board meeting two hours.  Everyone seemed less than thrilled at the prospect of going back to their lives.

They walked out to where the cab is waiting for Fitz, Jemma, and Skye.

Oliver said his goodbyes and stood back to let her have a few moments with her friends.  She said goodbye to Jemma first, pulling her in for a hug, “Remember what we talked about.” She whispered, “You made it out.  You both did.  Don’t waste your time.”

Jemma nodded into Felicity’s shoulder and then got in the cab.

She turned to Fitz, “Leo Fitz, it was so good to see you.”

“I hate that we waited so long to catch up, Felicity.  I am so incredibly proud of you and all that you’ve accomplished.  I knew you would do great things.  And the guy you got isn’t half bad.  I mean, he’s no Leo Fitz, but he’ll do in a pinch.”

Felicity laughed and pulled him into a hug, “There is no one like you, Fitz.” She said before whispering, “Try again.”

He pulled back in confusion and she says again, still whispering, “Try again. Without the explosives and water and lack of oxygen.”

She nodded over to Jemma, who was giving directions to the cab driver, “Sometimes it’s not the person, it’s the timing. Try. Again.”

Fitz looked over to Simmons and his heart sped up. Even chatting in a cab, she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen.  He nodded at Felicity and moved past her to the cab.  She patted his shoulder when as passed.

She looked to Skye, who was still standing by the cab, “You gonna hug me and whisper dirty secrets in my ear too?”

Felicity laughed, “Mortal enemies we are not, Skye.” She pulled out a business card from her purse, “If you ever get out of the government sector, give me a call.  I might have an opening for another indentured servant.”

Skye grinned, “I freaking knew it.”

 

Felicity and Oliver watched them drive away.  She turned and wrapped her arms around his waist, “Thank you.”

He leaned down and kissed her on her forehead, “For what?”

“For being my lobster.”

He smiled and threw an arm around her as they walked to his car, “Well Mrs. Queen, lobsters do mate for life.”

“That they do, Mr. Queen. That they do.”


End file.
